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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · hand · roll · season · ruler · land · hide · bound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. land — a country
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bound — obliged
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — ground
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com